One inescapable fact about the NFL is that, despite being a team game, many of the problems are directed at the quarterback. If they aren’t putting up good numbers and winning, a large share of the blame falls on their shoulders. Such is the case with Caleb Williams. While he’s done a tremendous job in helping guide the Chicago Bears to a 9-3 record, people still don’t feel he’s playing well enough. He has one of the worst completion percentages among NFL starters (58.1%), and it reflects in several throws that aren’t accurate enough.
However, this reality makes it way too easy to shovel all of the blame onto Williams for why the passing attack isn’t clicking. The truth is, he’s not the only culprit. Chicago has also been plagued by issues with their wide receivers, namely their inability to run routes properly. Doug Farrar of Athlon Sports mentioned it while reviewing Williams’ tape.
And yes, Johnson is right about Williams’ receivers not always being on the same page. This makes sense in a complicated passing game like the one Johnson is installing in Chicago — the time investment will be worth it when it all comes together because your offense will be tethered to variety as opposed to simplicity, but it can be a little crunky at times to start.
He wasn’t the only one to notice.
Ted Nguyen of The Athletic mentioned the same thing during his own study. While Williams does have his misfires, the problem is that his receivers aren’t helping him when he does throw good balls.
Right now, the Bears’ passing game is out of sync. When Williams does throw a well-placed, timing pass, his receivers slip or drop the ball, and when they get open, he’ll miss them. An encouraging sign is that Williams is finding the open receiver and he’s throwing the ball on time.
There was more evidence in the Bears’ win over the Eagles in Philadelphia. On one play, D.J. Moore slips coming out of a break on what was a good throw from Williams. On another play, Luther Burden appears to stop and start his route, which leads to him stumbling and not being in the right spot for Williams’ pass. Little things like this keep popping up.
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The Chicago Bears still aren’t executing with precision.
That has always been the key to great passing games. The quarterback and receivers must know what the other will do on every given play. Everybody must be on the same page. That hasn’t been happening with the Chicago Bears. Not only are the receivers messing up their routes every so often, but they’re also dropping way too many passes. The Bears are tied for 6th in the league with 18 drops this season. You’re not going to succeed at anything until those issues get cleaned up.
It is okay to be critical of Williams. He has earned a healthy portion of it. His footwork is still a work in progress, and he hasn’t yet mastered playing on time. That said, claiming the problems with this passing game was all him never felt realistic. His receivers aren’t pulling their weight, which is frustrating considering how much the Bears invested in this group. They need to start making more plays. Head coach Ben Johnson alluded to this multiple times over the past week. He wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true.
